


The Spaz and the Sourwolf

by TheRealDanniX



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Derek Hale, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Beta Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Derek Hale Deserves Nice Things, Derek Hale is a Softie, Erica Reyes & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Getting Together, Kinda, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Mates Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Non-Evil Peter Hale, Non-Human Stiles Stilinski, Oblivious Derek Hale, Peter Hale & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Peter Hale is a Little Shit, Slow Burn, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski is Part of the Hale Pack, Stiles Stilinski is a Nice Thing, Werewolf Mates, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:47:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29671629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRealDanniX/pseuds/TheRealDanniX
Summary: When Stiles comes across something he shouldn't in the Preserve he ends up on four legs. Not that anyone in the Pack knows it's him. He's just hoping they can figure it out before anything else bad happens.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 15
Kudos: 153





	1. Hide and Seek

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of things before we get to the story:
> 
> -I’m using Spaz as a term meaning clutz because the alliteration is better. In no way do I mean it as derogatory. If it bothers you, sorry. 
> 
> Fair warning. I’m not big on Scott and that reflects in how I wrote him, but this is kinder to him than most of my other fics.
> 
> Background: future fic, but nobody died and Scott never became an Alpha. Basically, I took my favorite characters minus Kira and Malia and made them happy-ish. Stiles and most of the betas are 20. Derek’s 26 and is the only one who can full shift. Peter is early 40s. Don’t know what else you need to know, but I’m sorry if I missed something.
> 
> I've got 5 chapters so far and it shouldn't be more than eight, but we all see how well that went last time. Updates on Wednesdays. 
> 
> Let me know what y'all think in the comments and drop some kudos if you like it. I love hearing from y'all.

They've been looking for Stiles for hours, and there's still nothing. No trace of his scent or tracks that lead to him. It's like he vanished into thin air. The Sheriff had called when Stiles wasn't at home or answering his phone the night before. After that, the pack had gone on high alert. Scott had taken Allison, Lydia, and Jackson to search in town while Derek had Erica, Boyd, Cora, and Isaac searching with him in the preserve. Isaac had found his Jeep parked at the old Hale house. So now everyone was in the woods searching. Surprisingly, Jackson was the one to find it. He let out a howl as the sun was setting and the pack swarmed to him. None of the wolves had trouble seeing what he'd found, but it didn't look good. Stiles' hoodie was ripped to shreds in Jackson's hand. There was a trail of clothing heading north. The air had a stale scent of magic but no scent of Stiles. There was nothing to follow after about three yards. Derek let out a growl as he tore the hoodie away from Jackson, trying to find any trace of who did this to Stiles on the cloth, but there was nothing. 

“I can’t smell anything,” Scott said weakly. Allison was by his side, arm wrapped around him.

“There’s nothing to smell,” Derek growled.

“What does that mean?” Lydia asked. Derek didn’t answer. He turned to his betas and flashed his eyes. They bowed their heads as he stalked off. “Where’s he going? What happened to Stiles?” Lydia demanded.

“We don’t know,” Isaac said gently. He kept talking, but Derek wasn’t listening. He sprinted into the woods, not paying attention to where he was going. He isn’t sure how it happened, but he found himself outside of Stiles’ house. Stiles who was gone. Stiles who they couldn’t trace. The Sheriff was sitting on the back porch staring into the woods. When he caught sight of Derek, he bolted to his feet trying to get closer. Derek stepped back, shaking his head. He could feel the sting of his fangs descending. The Sheriff froze when he saw the hoodie still gripped tightly in the Alpha’s hand. 

“Where is he?” Noah breathed. “Where’s my son, Hale?” Derek just shook his head. Then he was running again. He lost track of himself as he ran, feeling untethered like he had when he’d felt Laura die through the pack bonds. This was worse somehow. Because he hadn’t had a warning. Because Stiles was his. Because there was no body, no blood, no scent to follow. Because no one knew why he’d been out there in the first place. Stiles was gone, and there had been no one to protect him, and it was Derek’s fault. 

Stiles woke up on four legs. It's not the worst thing in the world but it was incredibly confusing for the first few minutes since he clearly knew he’s only supposed to have two. As soon as the brain fog cleared, he was on alert. The witch that cursed him could still be there. Though he had no idea how long he'd been out. Or why he was cursed in the first place. He'd only been in the woods looking for some wolfsbane that Isaac had seen during the pack's full moon run. Stiles thought it may be useful in some of the research he'd been working on. Maybe the witch had been looking for the same thing. Stiles didn't know. All he knew for sure was that he needed to find his pack and get back to being human. He can't be the boy who runs with wolves if he's a wolf. He trotted off in a random direction, knowing that once he was out of the preserve, he’d be able to get home. He just needed to find his way out first. 

Stiles heard a howl echo through the woods as the sun set and he debated going towards it. But he had just reached the road and going into the woods would get him lost again. It was ridiculous. He was a wolf now, but he still had no sense of direction. He could smell everything in the damn forest though. He’d picked up his packs’ scents as he moved through the trees, but he had no clue how to follow them. He was under the impression that things like that should be instinctive to a wolf. Then again, he wasn’t really a wolf. He was a person who was turned into a wolf. Yet the longer he was on four legs, the more he noticed and the harder it was to keep himself on task and not hunting down every rabbit that crossed his path. Maybe the instincts took time to kick in. That thought gave him pause as he walked along the road, trying to follow it while staying hidden in the woods. It was a horrible thought, but it made sense. The longer he was a wolf, the more wolf-like he’d become. Despite the growing instincts, Stiles was still in control. It wasn’t like when the werewolves lost themselves to their wolf side. It wasn’t even like Derek’s Alpha shift. All the werewolves were some combination of wolf and human, even when they lost control. Stiles had been entirely human and now he was entirely a wolf. Or, actually, he was a wolf with a human brain. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be spending that much time as a wolf. As long as his pack could figure this out without him. 

Eventually, Derek went back to the loft. Not being able to track Stiles had worn down his control and if he were out any longer he would have been risking shifting around humans. The rest of the pack was still searching, but Derek didn’t think they would find anything. Stiles had either been killed or kidnapped by someone who knew what they were doing. They had known that Stiles was in a pack and had hidden him from the werewolves. They would have to wait for whoever did this to make the next move. The thought made Derek’s skin crawl and his wolf howled in anger under his skin. Derek paced the loft for most of the night. Unable to settle with Stiles missing. And he was just missing, no matter what the evidence suggested. They would find him eventually. Thank the gods it was summer break so he wouldn’t miss anything at his college. They’d find him before then. The pack gathered in the loft at nine in the morning. Derek glowered at his pack as they regrouped. Cora had forced him to stop pacing when she’d shown up. Peter, who’d been absent the day before, was the last to arrive. “Well, Nephew, what exactly is the reason for this meeting? I only got back to town an hour ago,” Peter complained. Derek let out a growl at his Uncle. Scott slammed Peter into a wall in a flash.

“What did you do with him?” Scott demanded. Derek rolled his eyes. Peter hadn’t taken Stiles. Peter liked Stiles, as much as Peter liked anyone.

“Let him go, Scott,” Lydia ordered. “He doesn’t know.” 

“I don’t know what?” Peter asked, unbothered by the beta still pinning him to the wall. 

“Stiles is gone,” Cora said. “He was missing yesterday morning and we spent all day looking for him. All we found were his clothes which had been shredded, in the middle of the preserve.” Peter’s eyes flared electric blue and he surged forward aiming for Derek, but Scott still had a good grip on him. 

“You let him get hurt,” Peter growled. He was half shifted. Scott growled back but Derek just looked away.

“It’s not his fault.” Cora joined Scott in restraining Peter. “It’s nobody’s fault but the one who took him.” 

“There wasn’t any blood in the woods. We don’t know anything for sure except that he’s missing, and his clothes were in tatters,” Lydia sighed. “Not that they were much more than that to begin with.” She sniffed primly, looking unaffected, but all the wolves could scent the worry on her. Peter growled at her before abruptly reigning himself in and pulling back his shift. He shook himself out of Cora and Scott’s hold and glared at Derek.

“There was magic too,” Boyd said. Peter turned his glare on Boyd and arched an eyebrow. “It was all over the area we found the clothes in, but there was no trail to follow. Not of Stiles or the one who took him.” Erica curled into Boyd’s side, strangely quiet. 

“Scott and I will go talk to Deaton and see what he knows about magic users in the area. Isaac, keep an eye on the Sheriff. The rest of you keep looking for Stiles,” Derek said quietly. No one argued. Scott followed Derek from the loft to his Camaro. 

“What if Deaton doesn’t know anything?” Scott asked after a few minutes of silence. Derek didn’t answer. Deaton would know something, but even if he didn’t, they couldn’t stop looking. Not until they found Stiles. Derek couldn’t even consider the possibility they wouldn’t find the spastic human. 

Scott hadn’t been at his house, which was more annoying than Stiles wanted to admit. He hoped that Scott was looking for him, but his best friend's track record suggested that probably wasn’t the case. He doubted that anybody had noticed he was gone yet. Though he still wasn’t sure how long he’d been gone. He crept through the woods to his house, trying to stay out of view. He knew how nosey people could be and if they saw a wolf his size, there was a good chance he’d end up with animal control, something none of the pack would let him live down. His house wasn’t too far from Scott’s, and he was surprised to see both his jeep and his dad’s cruiser in the driveway. He must have been gone longer than he thought if someone had moved his jeep. Maybe they were looking for him. A sound in the woods behind him made him tense. He turned around as his hackles raised, a strange feeling that Stiles really wanted more time to think about. He didn’t get that time because he found himself face to face with Isaac. He instantly relaxed, though the beta didn’t. Isaac stared at him suspiciously. 

“Who are you?” Isaac demanded. Stiles was a little proud at how confident the beta sounded even though he still smelled scared. And damn, that was even stranger than the hackles. Smelling feelings. Is this how the werewolves felt all the time? “Shift back and tell me who you are.” Right. Not the time to be thinking about this. Can wolves have ADHD? He was fairly certain his ADHD was still very much present, so maybe there was the answer. Stiles sat down and stared at Isaac, trying to communicate that he wasn’t a werewolf. Isaac didn’t seem to get it. He looked between Stiles and the Stilinski house. “There are no wolves in California.” Stiles wanted to roll his eyes, but he wasn’t currently capable of that. He settled for letting out an annoyed huff. Isaac seemed to take that as a threat. His eyes flared gold and his fangs dropped. He growled at Stiles. Stiles forced himself not to react, even though every new instinct in him was begging him to growl back. Isaac relaxed and tilted his head to the side. Then he sighed as he deflated. “You’re just a wolf, aren’t you? You wandered in from some other state.” Stiles shook his head, but Isaac was no longer paying attention. The beta stepped around Stiles cautiously and moved towards the Stilinski’s house. Stiles followed him to the edge of the woods, begging the beta to reconsider. He whined at him, but Isaac just ignored him and disappeared inside. Stiles let out a frustrated growl and resisted the urge to charge the house and force his way in. He wasn’t a werewolf. He couldn’t heal if his dad decided to take a shot and he wouldn’t put his father through that. Stiles turned back into the woods and tracked Isaac’s scent through it to Derek’s loft. Something that now seemed easy to do when earlier it had been nearly impossible. He crept around the building and found himself face to face with Peter Hale. 

Peter eyed him cautiously like Isaac had. Stiles didn’t move. Peter’s scent shifted as he examined Stiles, from suspicion to something that was almost amused. It was startling to realize that his current form easily came up past Peter’s hip. “You are not a wolf,” Peter said carefully. He tilted his head and stepped closer, scenting the air. Stiles let out a weak growl. “You aren’t a werewolf either.” Peter leaned down slightly and looked right into Stiles’ eyes before breaking into a wide grin. “Ah, there you are.” He straightened up. “I was almost concerned when they told me you were missing. I should have known you were fine. You would think I’d have learned not to underestimate you by now, Stiles.” His grin grew wider. “That doesn’t mean I’ll make this easy for you. I have no idea how to undo what has been done to you.” Stiles growled again, stronger this time. “Calm down. I’m off to get some help for this curse of yours now that I know what it is. However, I don’t think I’ll tell our pack of your predicament. It will be far more interesting in the long run.” Peter opened the back door of Derek’s building. “Derek’s gone to Deaton, then I suspect he’ll be looking for you. I suggest you wait inside for him to return. Wouldn’t want a hunter or animal control to get the wrong idea.” Stiles glared at him as best he could before going in through the open door and plodding up to Derek’s loft. He could hear Peter chuckling to himself as Stiles settled in to wait.


	2. Introducing Spaz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek meets our four-legged friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you for the response so far!   
> Chapter two as promised.  
> I'm really trying to keep this even spaced out with the posting schedule, so chapter 3 will be next Wednesday. 
> 
> Let me know what you think so far in the comments and drops so kudos if you like it.   
> I love y'all <3 <3

Deaton didn’t know anything. There were no new magic users in Beacon Hills, but he didn’t know any of the ones who’d lived in Beacon Hills before he and Stiles had restored the wards. Just that most of them would have the skill to take Stiles without a trace. Even Scott hadn’t been able to get the druid to reveal any names. Derek had left Scott there questioning the druid, but he had returned to his loft. His control was paper-thin and there was a good chance that anyone smelling of magic would be the victim when he lost control. His phone rang as he pulled into the parking lot of his building. “What?” he growled.

“Calm yourself, Nephew. I have good news. I know how to help Stiles. I’m heading to meet with an old friend in Oregon. I just wanted to let you know I’d be gone for a few days. This friend trades information for assistance so I didn’t want you to think I’d abandoned Stiles to his curse. I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon too,” Peter explained. He sounded incredibly calm.

“Peter,” Derek warned.

“I’ll call you when I know more.” Peter hung up before Derek could respond. Derek threw the phone down in the passenger seat to keep from crushing it in his frustration. Just an hour ago, Peter had been losing control. Now he seemed apathetic. Derek wanted to kill his uncle again. His claws dug into his thighs as he tried to calm down. It took him a while to get control again. When he finally managed to pull back his shift, he picked up his phone, shoving it in his pocket as he stormed up the stairs to his loft. He froze at the top of the stairs. Laying in front of the door was the biggest wolf he’d ever seen. It was bigger than any normal wolf could have been. Almost as big as his full shift. It had thick reddish-brown fur with white paws and underbelly. The wolf lifted its head and looked at Derek with big brown eyes. It tilted its head slightly but didn’t move. Derek flashed his eyes at the wolf. The wolf bared its neck and pressed itself into the ground with a quiet whine. Derek frowned. It couldn’t be a normal wolf, but a werewolf would flash their eyes, no matter how far gone they were. Derek scented the air, but the wolf didn’t have a clear scent. He crept closer and the wolf stayed perfectly still. When Derek held out his hand, the wolf tentatively stretched out its neck and pressed its nose to his palm, but it stayed laying on the ground. Derek moved carefully closer, letting his hand slide down the wolf’s muzzle and to its neck. The wolf made no move to pull away, even as Derek knelt down next to it with his hand gripping its scruff. 

“You’re not much of a wolf, are you?” Derek said gently. The wolf huffed and let its head fall back down to his paws. “How’d you get in here?” Predictably, the wolf didn’t answer. Derek pulled his hands back and stood up with a frown. Then he pulled out his phone and called Scott.

“Hey Derek, did you find something?” Scott asked as he answered his phone.

“Not about Stiles,” Derek said. The wolf looked up at him while he was talking and something like recognition flickered in its eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “Are you still at Deaton’s?”

“I just left. Why?”

“There’s a wolf outside my loft.”

Scott snorted. “Not the time for jokes, dude.”

“It’s not a joke, and don’t call me dude. There is a literal wolf outside my loft. Get Deaton and bring him here now,” Derek growled. He hung up the phone with a huff. The wolf was still staring at him. Derek bared his teeth. “If you knew him, you wouldn’t be judging me,” Derek snapped. The wolf huffed and turned its head away. Derek sidestepped it and reached for the handle to pull the door open. As soon as it was open, the wolf bolted inside. “Hey!” It settled on the couch stretching out. It-well, actually, he- almost looked smug. “No wolves on the couch,” Derek said. The wolf let out another huff that almost sounded like a laugh and looked pointedly at Derek. Derek glared at him. He didn’t have time for this. Stiles was still missing. Derek pulled out his phone again and called Isaac. 

“The Sheriff’s fine,” Isaac said, instead of any greeting.

“Any sign of Stiles?”

“Nope.”

“Anything unusual?”

“Not really,” Isaac mumbled uncertainly.

“Isaac.”

“It was just a wolf. Not a werewolf, just a regular wolf. It was outside the house when I got here, but it left after I got inside.”

“There are no wolves in California,” Derek said, staring at the wolf on his couch. It huffed at him again. “What did it look like?”

“Big, sorta reddish-brown.”

“Brown eyes?”

“You’ve seen it?”

“He found his way to the loft and has claimed the couch,” Derek said, dryly. The wolf was practically grinning at him now. “Stay with the Sheriff. Scott and I will deal with him.” 

“Ok.” Isaac hung up the phone and Derek took a seat in one of the armchairs to keep an eye on the wolf. The wolf met his stare, radiating amusement. 

“You aren’t a real wolf,” Derek decided. The wolf sneezed at him. He crossed his paws and rested his head on them, still staring at Derek. Derek held back a growl. Scott and Deaton arrived twenty minutes later. As they were coming up the stairs, the wolf had tensed up for the first time since it had appeared. Scott eyed the wolf suspiciously when he got in the loft, but Deaton made a beeline for the couch.

“Hello there,” Deaton said, regarding the wolf curiously. He growled at the vet, losing the calm demeanor he’d had earlier. Deaton ignored the growl and reached for the wolf. It snapped its jaws at him before suddenly leaping off the couch and pressing against Derek’s legs. Deaton didn’t seem bothered by this and smiled at the wolf politely. “Interesting.”

“I’ve never seen any of the dogs at the clinic react like that,” Scott said.

“Why don’t you see if you can get close to it, Scott?” Deaton asked. Scott frowned nervously but did as he was asked, kneeling on the ground near the wolf who allowed Scott to touch him but snapped in warning when the beta got near his neck. His eyes never left the vet. “Odd. Has he snapped at you, Derek?” 

“No,” Derek said. He let himself bury a hand in the soft fur at the scruff of the wolf’s neck. The wolf leaned into the touch slightly, still eying Deaton. 

“Hm. I suspect this is not a real wolf,” Deaton said. “Nor is he a werewolf.”

“Then what is he?” Scott asked.

“He could be many things, but the most likely option would be a human who was cursed.”

“Then why’d he’d come here?”

“Perhaps he could sense Derek. Before wolves were chased out of California, the Hale pack often attracted several real wolves on their runs. A human turned into a wolf would likely feel a similar pull to the pack as a real wolf would. Or perhaps they know Derek as a human and sought him out for help. There’s no way to tell until they are human again. I’ll see if I can find anything on transformation spells. I’ll see you tomorrow, Scott.” Deaton smiled at them before turning and leaving. Derek let him go. The vet wouldn’t be any more help to them anyway. Scott looked down at the wolf, who had shaken off the hands on him and gone back to the couch.

“Well, that wasn’t helpful,” Scott said. The wolf huffed as he relaxed now that the druid was gone. “What are we gonna do with him?”

“We can’t send him away. A wolf won’t survive long on their own. Even in the preserve. Wolves need a pack,” Derek sighed. 

“Then why don’t you let him stay with you?” Scott suggested. The wolf snapped to attention, looking at the beta with wide brown eyes. Scott didn’t notice. “I mean, he seems to like you and if we find anything out, we’ll know where to find him.”

“I need to be looking for Stiles. You know, your best friend. Part of our pack who’s gone missing,” Derek growled. “Or did you forget?”

“I didn’t forget.” Scott’s eyes flared gold. “But we can’t just leave this wolf on his own. He barely tolerated me, but he likes you. So, you take care of him.” Scott stormed out of the loft, slamming the door shut with a glare. Derek glared after him. The wolf jumped down from the couch, but stumbled, slamming into the ground before he quickly recovered. Then he curled himself around Derek’s legs, pressing into the Alpha hard. Derek forced himself to relax, somewhat surprised he hadn’t shifted in his frustration. The wolf whined.

“I’m not mad at you,” Derek admitted, dropping a hand into the soft fur. Derek knelt down and met the wolf’s eyes. “I know you can understand me in there. I want to keep you safe, but I need to find my ma- I need to find Stiles. You can either stay here while I go look for him or come help. If you come with me, you stay with me and stay out of sight if there are other people around. Got it?” Derek let his eyes flash red. The wolf tensed and looked at him expectantly, but Derek wasn’t sure what that meant. He sighed. “Bark once for yes. Twice for no. Do you understand?” The wolf barked once. “Are you staying here?” The wolf barked twice. Derek nodded. “Then come on. We’ll search the edge of the preserve again.” The wolf followed Derek from the loft.

Stiles really wished he wasn’t so clumsy. He’d thought that he’d be better as a wolf, but he’d been proving himself wrong all day. In the several hours that he’d been searching the preserve with Derek (for himself. God), he’d run into four trees, tumbled down two hills, and accidentally taken a swim in a creek he didn’t know existed. Derek dragged him out of the water quickly, but Stiles was already soaking wet. Derek glared at him with red eyes. “How are you such a spaz?” Derek asked. Stiles huffed at him squirming under the Alpha’s stare even more than he usually would. It wasn’t his fault that his new body came with his usual coordination. “If you run into one more tree, I’m going to call you Spaz until you’re human again.” Stiles pulled back his lips to snarl at Derek, but it didn’t faze Derek. The Alpha just turned back to the darkening woods around them. Stiles shook the water off and looked around them. He didn’t think it was that late in the day, but he wasn’t sure. Time was hard as a wolf.

Suddenly, a rabbit darted out in front of him and Stiles took off after it, unable to stop himself. Before he could think about it, he had the rabbit in his jaws and was tearing into it. Derek grunted from behind him and Stiles startled. He looked down at the half-eaten animal in front of him and scrambled back, letting out a distressed whine. Crap, he hadn’t meant to do that. He frantically tried to wipe the blood off his muzzle and paws in the dirt around him whimpering as he did. Derek knelt in front of him, ignoring the mess and using his strong arms to hold Stiles’ head still. “Hey, take it easy. It’s okay.” Derek’s voice was quiet and calming and Stiles focused on it, trying to ignore the itch of blood still on his muzzle. “Come on.” Derek got to his feet but kept a hand on the scruff of Stiles’ neck as he led them back to the creek. “Here.” Derek shoved Stiles towards the water. 

Stiles pressed against the Alpha’s legs gratefully before shoving his muzzle in the water. He rubbed hard with his paws, but it was difficult, and he couldn’t tell if he’d gotten all the blood off when he turned back to Derek. “You didn’t mean to do that, did you?” Derek asked. Stiles barked twice. “Is that the only thing that you can’t control right now?” Stiles barked twice again. He’d been right when he thought the instincts would get worse. He felt it when Deaton had shown up. Sure, he’d never liked the vet much, but he’d never been that on edge. He had barely registered that Deaton was there before he was growling at the druid. Then when Scott had tried to reach for him, it had taken nearly all his self-control to keep from pulling back. Derek wasn’t like that. Hell, even Peter hadn’t been like that, but Peter also hadn’t tried to touch him. “Are you still hungry?” Derek asked. Stiles barked once. The Alpha sighed. “I’m guessing you don’t want to hunt for your food either.” It wasn’t a question, but Stiles barked in agreement anyway. “Come on.” Derek moved nimbly through the forest back to the loft’s back door. He froze, scenting the air. “This is how you got in the first time. Peter left the door open,” Derek growled. Stiles huffed and bumped his head against Derek’s back. Derek shook himself and glared at the wolf, but he opened the door anyway.

Back in the loft, Stiles followed Derek to the kitchen, which was tucked in the back away from everything else. Derek kept frowning at him as he started cooking something. Stiles laid on the ground and watched, having never been allowed to be this close with his Alpha when he was human. Half an hour later, Derek took two plates out to the living room and set one on the ground. Stiles devoured the meat in under a minute before Derek had even taken a bite. Derek rolled his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched up. Stiles tried to leap up onto the couch next to Derek but misjudged the distance and ended up tripping himself up on the edge of the couch. The next minute he was sprawled on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. “That’s it. Until we know otherwise, I’m calling you Spaz,” Derek chuckled. Stiles was too stunned by the sound to growl. 


	3. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spaz learns how to be a wolf in a pack. The Sourwolf opens up to his newest packmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so this is late.   
> But only a little bit late.  
> I'm still sorry. The next update will be on time I promise.
> 
> Let me know if you're enjoying this in the comments or with kudos, or both if you're feeling generous.
> 
> It fills me with joy to hear from y'all <3

Spaz had been there for a week before Derek heard from Deaton again. The druid apologized but said that the conditions of the curse had to be met before Spaz would be human again unless Spaz had magic, which wasn't likely and may actually be worse for him. The pack had given up searching for Stiles since any trails that may have been there were gone. Instead, they alternated patrols and watched the Sheriff in pairs. Derek and Spaz had started to settle into a strange routine. After the first night, Spaz would force Derek into bed by midnight. Then Derek would force Spaz awake at seven to take the morning patrols. For the time being, they were sharing Derek’s king-size bed since Derek didn’t feel right about forcing Spaz to sleep on the ground. (He wouldn’t admit that he’d slept better with Spaz there, but he did.) Spaz refused to hunt for his food, though Derek had seen him take off after small animals several times, choosing to eat whatever Derek offered him instead. If he was hungry, he’d refuse to leave the loft, which Derek learned the first morning where he’d tried to carry the wolf from the loft in an effort to relieve Erica and Boyd who’d been on patrol overnight. Spaz was very good at using his clumsiness and size to get out of Derek’s grip. Eventually, Derek had left him on his own, only to return to see the wolf had been in his fridge and had eaten all the deli meat.

In the afternoons and evenings, Derek and Spaz would check in with the pack. Sometimes they came to the loft. Other times they would meet them in the preserve or at their houses. It was curious to Derek that Spaz seemed to be genuinely concerned about most of them. He was still iffy whenever Scott came around and he outright growled at Jackson. But he was nearly as calm with the rest of them as he was with Derek. So long as no one else touched his neck. Isaac had learned that the hard way, though Spaz had instantly tried to apologize, tucking his tail and whining while nosing gently at the beta’s healing hand. After that, it was strange how easily the wolf fit in their pack. No one was happy, still very concerned with their missing pack mate, but they weren’t falling apart like they had the last time Stiles had been taken. 

It was Friday afternoon, and Derek watched the wolf settle on the couch with his head in Erica’s lap as she dragged her shaking hands through his fur. His tail thumped happily on the couch. The beta suddenly wrapped her arms around the wolf, burying her face in his fur. If Spaz was surprised, he didn’t show it. He twisted until he could get his tongue on her face and started licking frantically as the beta started crying. Derek joined them on the couch and pulled Erica close to him. She’d been over every day since they stopped searching, but she hadn’t spoken much, reeking of loss and hurt. The wolf let out quiet whines as he tried to comfort her, still licking at the salty tears. “I miss him,” Erica managed before fully breaking down. She turned and sobbed into Derek’s shoulder. Spaz whimpered and pressed all his weight against the beta. He nosed at the skin he could get to, trying to get as close to her as possible. Erica still had one hand buried in his fur, but the other was gripping Derek tightly.

“I know,” Derek said quietly. Spaz looked up at him for a moment and let out another whimper as though he just realized the distress was coming from both of them. “We’ll find him. Stiles is tough. He’ll be fine.” Erica sobbed louder. Spaz tried to get her attention to comfort her, but it wasn’t working. Eventually, he jumped off the couch, leaving them alone. Derek wrapped both his arms around his beta and let her continue to cry into his shoulder until she was asleep. Then he gently shifted her to lay on the couch before getting up and heading to the kitchen. He saw Spaz go back towards the couch with something in his mouth after the Alpha left, but he figured the wolf was just trying to comfort the beta. Hours later, after Erica had woken up and composed herself and the three of them had eaten, Derek noticed a copy of The Dark Knight Rises on the floor in front of the couch. It was a film that Stiles had left from their last pack night, but Derek didn’t understand how it had ended up on the floor. He could have sworn he’d put it with the human’s other forgotten things in his room. It was gone when Erica left for the night. 

Derek sat on the couch with Spaz for a while after that, just watching the wolf. “You know us as a human, don’t you?” Derek asked. Spaz let out a quiet bark. “That’s why you found Batman for Erica.” Another bark. “Are you friends with Stiles too?” Spaz let out a huff of air but didn’t make a sound. “That’s not an answer.” Spaz just stared at him. Derek sighed. “I guess not. Isaac said that Stiles is only really friends with the pack.” Spaz nosed at Derek’s hand and Derek ran it through the wolf’s fur. “I miss him,” Derek said quietly. Logically, he knew there was a person in the wolf next to him, but it was easy to forget when Spaz behaved so much like a dog like he was doing now. “If you ever get the chance to be friends with him once you’re back to yourself, take it. He will never let you down. He’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met. He’ll be able to get you up to speed on all the werewolf stuff too since you probably didn’t know anything about that before you got cursed.” Spaz huffed at that, sounding a bit like laughter. “Or maybe you did, and you just didn’t want to be involved. How should I know? He’d still help you because that’s the kind of thing he does. Even if he didn’t like you, he wouldn’t let you die. He’s saved my life more times than I can count, and I miss him more than I ever thought possible. So, once we get him back, give him a chance, okay?”

Stiles had been a wolf for almost a month, and it had become both annoying and somehow not. He still wanted to be human again. He wanted to talk to his pack and get them to stop worrying about him while he’s standing right in front of them. He really wanted to be able to talk to his dad again. But then there was Derek. Derek who shared his loft, bed, and food with Spaz. Derek who had become attached to the wolf in his life and talked to him without fear of judgment. Derek who had admitted to missing Stiles. Derek who made sure to take care of Stiles’ Dad while Stiles couldn’t. Derek who had welcomed a strange wolf into his pack and hadn’t let him go. Stiles was almost willing to stay a wolf forever just to keep Derek talking to him. But it wouldn’t be long until Derek learned that his friend Spaz was actually Stiles. After all, Peter had figured it out in less than five minutes. After her breakdown a few weeks ago, Stiles had helped Erica figure it out. Now whenever they were left alone, she called him Batman, just like she did when he was human. Stiles thought that Boyd and Isaac knew too, though the betas had been strangely silent on the identity of the wolf whenever the topic came up. Lydia definitely knew and Stiles suspected she’d figured it out as fast as Peter, but she stayed silent around Stiles too. And she had definitely told Allison and Cora. Maybe they’d even told his dad too. Really, the only pack members who didn’t know were Scott, Jackson, and Derek. And when Derek knew, there would be no more talks. He’d go back to how he always acted with Stiles, grumping and growling and barely putting up with the human tagalong. It was done fondly these days, Stiles thought, so it was an improvement on how things used to be, but it was a big step back from where Spaz was.

Anyway, it was a month into this curse when Peter marched into the loft and flopped down on the couch next to Stiles. Stiles startled and ended up once again sprawled on the floor. He hadn’t gotten any more graceful in his time as a wolf. Peter smirked at him. Stiles snarled at him, but it was half-hearted at best. Somehow, he found his instincts more at rest with Peter than with Scott. Which was just weird. “Hello there, sweetheart,” Peter purred. 

“Peter,” Derek growled from somewhere beyond the couch. Stiles wasn’t sure since he was still laying on his back on the ground. He should probably get up before Peter got any ideas about petting him. Stiles rolled onto his feet as Derek stepped around the couch. Stiles felt his tail start wagging at the Alpha’s appearance and really wished that he actually had control of it at all because this was going to be so embarrassing once he was human again. Derek was thankfully not paying Stiles any attention, choosing to glare at his uncle instead. The frustrated scent rolling off the Alpha was enough to put Stiles on edge and stop his wagging tail.

“Hello, Nephew. How are you?” Peter grinned up at Derek.

“Where have you been?”

Peter sighed. “I told you. My friend trades information for favors. I was completing the favor to get the information. It took longer than I would have liked but, really, it was a basic transaction. It’s not as though anyone was in any true danger from me taking my time.”

“Stiles was in danger. Stiles is still in danger. We still don’t know where Stiles is,” Derek growled. His eyes flared red. Stiles instinctively pressed himself against the floor and bared his neck to Derek. He must have made some kind of noise too because Derek glanced down at him and suddenly the Alpha’s eyes were back to hazel. Peter arched an eyebrow and looked between Stiles and Derek.

“Did you not tell him, sweetheart?” Peter asked. He directed the question to Stiles, who was still pressed against the floor. Stiles barked once even though Peter wouldn’t know what that meant. Derek, however, did and he glared at Stiles. If Stiles was still human, he would have shrugged. He had tried to tell Derek.

“Tell me what?” The Alpha eyes were back, and Stiles let out a whimper as he tucked his tail underneath him. Out of all the wolf instincts, this was the worst. As a human he’d often been able to ignore anything he felt when Derek brought out the Alpha eyes, but, as a wolf, there was an overwhelming need to obey and submit. It felt like his insides were crawling every time Derek’s eyes flashed red.

“Who he is. I’m sure he’s tried.” Peter waved his hand absently. Stiles let out a quiet bark, even though Derek was still glaring at him with blood-red eyes.

“You have?” Derek asked. Stiles barked once, and Derek finally let his eyes fade back to their normal color. Stiles didn’t relax, but at least it felt less like he was going to barf. Derek looked up at Peter. “You know who he is.”

“Of course, I do. I knew who he was the minute I saw him. I’m honestly surprised you still don’t know.” Derek let out a growl, but Peter probably would have gone on if some of the betas hadn’t chosen then to appear. Stiles still hadn’t moved from his place on the floor when the three werewolves crashed into the loft. Erica was instantly on him digging her hands in his fur, and Isaac placed himself between Stiles and Derek before anyone really knew what was happening. Even Boyd was eying Derek suspiciously, but he stayed quiet. Erica never had that much control. She glared up at her Alpha from where she had planted herself at Stiles’ side.

“What the fuck did you do to him?” she demanded. Isaac growled in agreement. Derek stepped back in either confusion or shock. Stiles couldn’t tell. Peter chuckled from his place on the couch.

“He does seem rather stressed, Nephew,” Peter offered. It was only then that Stiles bothered to consider what kind of chemosignals he was giving off, but he couldn’t control that. He could still smell Derek’s frustration and he knew it was aimed at him. Stiles let out a whimper as the frustration grew to anger and Derek growled at his betas. Suddenly Boyd was beside Isaac, growling right back and it was too much for Stiles’ new instincts. Stiles ripped himself out of Erica’s grip and ran out the still-open door.


End file.
